02x28 - Woodman, Spare That Tree

[bunniefuu]

-Hi, Mr. Wilson.

-Oh, it's you, Dennis.

-Got a quarter?

-What for?

-I'll show you how it works.

-Great Scott.

[theme music]

-Yes, yes.

I know about it, Lawrence.

Uh, we're going to have a
meeting this afternoon and--

[cawing]
--hm?

[cawing]

-Talk to us, bird.

C'mon talk to us.

-All's he say is,
caw, caw, and caw.

-Don't worry, we'll teach him.

-Yes, it's an outrage.

And we're not going to let
those rumdumbs get away with it.

-Which rumdumbs, dear?

-The ones at the city hall.

Those rumbumbs.

-Yes, well, that tree
has been standing

in the park for half a century.

And they are not going to
cut it down if I can help it.

-That would be a shame.

-Uh, just a minute, Lawrence.

It's so noisy I can't hear.

-Hi, boy.

Say, hi, boy.
-Dennis?

Mr. Wilson can't hear.

-But we're not making
any noise, Dad.

It's the crows!

-Dennis and me
are training them.

[laughter]

-How about training them
someplace else, fellas?

It's just too noisy.

Go on, shoo!

Shoo, go on.

[cawing]

-Aw, gee whiz, Dad!

You'll hurt their feelings.

-I hope they're not mad at us.

-Yes, I'm calling a meeting of
all the neighbors, Lawrence.

o'clock at the tree.

Good.

See you then, bye.

-Holding a sort of
indignation meeting, huh?

-Exactly.

-No, and nobody can get
more indignant than George.

-Well, I'll certainly be there.

Gee, I'd sure hate to
see that tree come down.

Alice's and my initials
are on it someplace.

I carved them there
before we were married.

-Why, Mitchell, that
old tree is just

loaded with sentimental history.

Countless young
lovers have strolled

beneath it hand in hand
to plight their troth.

Young mothers have watched their
children at play beneath it

and their children's children.

Why, history has been made
beneath that grand old elm.

-Isn't it an oak, dear?

-Oh, well, it's a tree, Martha.

That's the main thing.

-You know, I, I haven't
been able to figure out

why the devil they want
to cut that tree down

in the first place, have you?

-Well, we understand they're
going to clear the area

and have a volleyball
court there.

[cawing]

-No, that's pretty silly.

There are plenty of
other places they

can put a volleyball court.

-Hey, dad!

The crows came back and
they're not mad at us.

-We're getting
them real trained.

-Yeah, look Dad.

Watch!

Here boy, speak, speak.

[cawing]
-Here crows!

-Here crows!

-Oh, those boys are having
a time with the birds.

-Dennis says he's going
to teach them to talk.

-Well, I wish he'd teach them
to fly south and stay there.

Darn things are a nuisance.

-They don't do any harm.

-Well, I just don't like
them around, Martha.

They scare away all the
songbirds for one thing.

-Oh well, I hadn't
thought of that.

But I haven't seen many.

-Oh, well, uh, and
they steal, too.

Why, do you know
a crow will steal

anything he can get hold of?

-Well, thanks for the warning.

I'll keep my car
locked up tonight.

[laughter]

-See you later.

-That's kind of funny.

-There's a letter there
I wanted to throw away.

-Uh huh?

-It's from your cousin
who bet on the horses.

-Oh--

-I can guess what he wants.
-Sterling.

Well, don't you worry, Martha.

Cousin Sterling won't
get a cent out of me,

not this time he won't.

-Good.

-Cousin Sterling, huh?

Hmm.

"Dear George, I hit one.

Here's that $ I owe you.

Thanks, Ster."

Great Scott!

$ bill!

Well, he did take
me back finally.

Hallelujah!

Oh, what wait until Martha
sees this, she'll be so--

[cawing]

-Oh, no!

Come back here!

Stop that, drop it,
stop thief, stop!

Help, Martha!

Help, help!

-Something wrong, Mr. Wilson?
-What is it, George?

Are you all right?

-I've been robbed, Martha.

Robbed!

$ .

That crow just took it right
out of my hands almost.

-Now, now sit down, dear.

Calm yourself.
It's all right.

-I, I don't want to sit down.
Don't you understand Martha?

-What is it Mr. Wilson?
What happened?

-He lost some money, Dad.

He thinks our crow stole it.

But, look, Mr. Wilson, he
hasn't got your money, see?

-Oh, not that crow, Dennis.

The one that flew away.

I had $ bill and I
dropped it and that,

that, that flying
bandit grabbed it

before I could do
anything about it.

-You didn't have a
$ bill, George.

Maybe it was a $ bill.

-Oh, great Scott.

Here, read this.

Cousin Sterling paid me
back the $ , I drop it,

and that thieving crow--
what am I doing sitting here?

I've got to find that bird.

-I don't think our crow meant
to steal your money, Mr. Wilson.

-Oh no, they're honest.

Honest they are.

Maybe they just borrowed
it or something.

-Oh, never mind that.

Let's just find him, that's all.

Confounded things are
all over the neighborhood

when you're not
looking for them.

-Hey, maybe Mrs. Johnson saw.

-Oh, I hope so.

She was out here
when-- Mrs. Johnson,

have you been out here long?

-Well, I came out here
in and I remember

we drove out from Chicago and--

-No, no, no.

I mean outside here
on the sidewalk.

-Don't raise your voice to me!

-He's just nervous,
Mrs. Johnson.

-Oh, I, I'm sorry.

Just tell me one
thing, did you see

a crow go by here
with $ bill.

-Did I see what?

-A crow, a crow.

You know-- caw, caw, caw!

With $ in his beak.

-My, he is nervous, isn't he?

Don't you think you better
go back in the house?

-Now, what's the
matter with her?

-Maybe she didn't like
your bird imitation,

but I thought it
was swell myself.

-Yeah, especially
the flapping part.

Do it again, Mr. Wilson.

-Oh, fiddle faddle.

-Yeah, he's a swell
flapper, isn't he, Tommy?

-Oh.

-Poor good, old Mr. Wilson.

I sure hope that man
saw his money go by.

-But what if he didn't?

-Then we'll just have to
find it for him, that's all.

-I get asked a lot of oddball
questions on this job, pops,

but, oh, you've
got to be kidding.

-I am not kidding.

What, you've been around
today, I just thought

you might have seen it.

-Seen a crow fly past
with $ bill, huh?

No, but I'll sure watch for him.

Why, I could sell that bird
this whole sample case for $ .

If he hasn't already
spent the money foolishly.

-Well, for your information,
it is not his to spend.

He stole that money from me.

-Stole it?

Oh, well, in that case,
there's only one thing to do.

We gotta report this to the
police right now, right?

-Well, I didn't think of that.

I suppose I should report it.

I--

-Oh, absolutely.

It's your duty as a citizen.

Officer, you say?

I wish to report a hold-up.

A crow flew into my yard,
stuck a g*n in my ribs,

and took my wallet
with $ bill in it.

He was about six inches
tall, he had black wings,

and a mole on his left ear.

[laughter]

Pop, the cops will flip.

-And you know what, Grandma?

Mr. Wilson said it
was a real $ bill.

-I know crows will
take most anything when

they're building a nest.

But $ bill, my goodness.

-With that kind of money, they
don't have to build a nest.

They can hire
themselves a builder.

-Aw, dad.

Crows can't spend
money, can they?

-I was only joking, son.

-They better not
Spend that money

because it belongs to
good, old Mr. Wilson.

And I'm going to get it back for
him if it takes all afternoon.

-Aw, now, isn't he a good boy?

-I wouldn't count too much on
ever seeing that bill again,

son.It could be any place by now.

-We'll find it.

But I think what
that crow probably

did was hide Mr. Wilson's
money in his nest someplace.

-Say, that's pretty
smart thinking.

I bet that's
exactly what he did.

-So me and Tommy are going
to follow him and find out

where their hideout is
and get the money back.

-Hey, now that's
a very good idea.

You're a regular detective.

-It's going to be an
awful hard job though.

I'll need lots of strength.

So can I have
another piece of pie?

-It's just gone, Martha.

Oh, but think of all the things
we could have done with $ .

-Yes, dear.

But look at it this way,
when you loaned the money

to your silly cousin years
ago, you never expected

to see it again, did you?

-No, no, I certainly didn't.

-Well, as far as we're
considered, it was gone then,

it's still gone, so we're even.

-Martha, you have a talent for
finding good in everything,

don't you, my dear?

No matter what.

-That's what my father said
the day I brought you home.

-Father, the day you brought?

Oh, you're pulling my leg.

[laughter]

-Well, we mustn't
waste time like this.

You have things to do.

What time is your meeting?

- o'clock.

Oh, I almost forgot
about the tree.

[doorbell]
-I'll get it.

Thank you.

There's a telegram for you.

-Telegram?

Oh, dear.

I, well, I hope
nobody's sick or a,

or an accident or
anything like that.

-What is it, dear?
What is it?

-Why, it's from Mr. Timberlake?

-Timberlake?

The bird watcher's society?

-It says, your gallant fight
to save old tree stamps you

as true lover of nature.

We at State
Headquarters salute you.

We'll be at meeting
today to lend support.

Felicitously yours,
Walter A. Timberlake,

Chairman Bird Lovers of America.

Well, well, well.

-Isn't that nice?

[laughter]

-How about that, Martha?

Why I didn't even know
they'd heard about it.

-Everybody hears
about you, dear.

-Well, by golly.

Walter A. Timberlake, himself.

[laughter]

Why, this may turn out to
be a pretty good day for me

after all.

[phone ringing]

-Hello?

Oh, hi, Mom.

When are you coming home?

-Pretty soon, I hope.

Grandad's coming along fine.

How's my boy?

-Swell.

And, boy, are we having a lot
of excitement around here.

Mr. Wilson got
robbed this morning.

-Mr. Wilson what?

Got robbed?

-We know who did it all right.

Me and Tommy are going
to find their hideout

and get it back for him.

-Their hideout?

Oh, now wait a minute, Dennis.

The police will handle it and
you just stay out of their way.

-All we have to do is
find their hideout,

and while Tommy's talking to him
real friendly and feeding him

a lot of corn, I'll sneakin
and get the money and--

-Dennis, you call your father
to the phone this instant,

do you hear me?

-Well, OK.
But--

-And you stay right there in
that house until I'm finished.

You sit down on the steps
and stay there, you hear?

-Dad, telephone!

Your wife want to talk to you.

-Hi honey, how's everything?

-Boy, that's a first
time I ever had

to stay in the house from
a woman miles away.

-Huh?

Well, of course I know what's
going on under my nose.

Oh, that.

Uh, well, it's kind of
a silly story, honey,

but, wait a minute.

Uh, son, you can go
outside and play now.

It's OK.

-Oh, be sure and give
her my love, Dad.

I forgot.

[cawing]

They're around here
someplace, all right.

I hear them, but I
don't see them yet.

-I just saw one on Mr. Wilson's
roof, but he flew away.

-Good!

He probably went to get
his wife and tell her

that lunch is ready.

-Yeah, maybe that's
where he went.

-Scatter it all over real
good, Tommy, so they'll be sure

and see it.

Here crows, here crows!
-Here crows!

Come here.

Caw, caw!

-Caw, caw!

-We are gathered here
today, my friends,

beneath this tree to
save it from destruction.

As I stand beside
this venerable trunk

in the shelter of
its outstretched

crows-- oh, for Pete's sake!

Can't even hear myself think.

[cawing]

-Talk to us, c'mon talk.

C'mon, say something.

Caw, caw, caw!

-Caw, caw!

-Dennis!

Dennis, what is this?

-Oh, hi, Mr. Wilson.

-Get those noisy
things out of my yard.

What are you trying
to do me anyway?

-We're trying to
find your money.

-Yeah.

-We're going to follow
the crows that took it

and find out where they live
and get your money back.

-Oh, for the love of--

-Only we don't know which
one did it, Mr. Wilson.

-No.

Was it this one here that
took your money, Mr. Wilson?

-Or that one over there?
Because--

-Well, for Pete's sake!

How would I know
which crow it is?

-You saw him.

So you're the only one that
knows what he looks like.

-Oh, now Dennis, if you
don't get these vandals

out of my yard, I'll-- Martha!

Martha!

Bring me a broom
or a mop handle.

I'm going to-- Martha!

-George, you have company, dear.

-Mr. Wilson, how good
to see you again.

-Well, my goodness,
uh, uh Mr. Timberlake.

What a nice surprise.

I didn't expect you
here at the house, I--

[cawing]

Oh, it's so noisy out here, uh--

-By jove, what a
splendid thing to do.

-Huh?

-Our little friends,
the crows, have

had a most difficult winter.

-Our friends?

Oh, oh, you mean the crows.

Oh, yes, they have.

-And it's so typical of
your husband, Mrs. Wilson,

with his profound concern
for all our feathered friends

to think of turning your whole
backyard into one big feeding

tray.

-Oh, well, I, eh, uh, one
big feeding tray, yes.

-Mr. Wilson, this is
a truly noble gesture

in keeping with the finest
American traditions.

-Oh, well, it was nothing.

I, uh, well, I just, uh, well--

-Shall we go inside?

I'll make some coffee.

-I'd love to have
a cup of coffee,

but I have a few
little things to attend

to downtown before the meeting.

I just dropped by
momentarily to see

if you needed any last minute
help in saving the tree?

-Oh, why that's most considerate
of you, Mr. Timberlake,

but everything is
under control, sir.

[cawing]

-He never did tell us
which crow took his money.

-No, we'll just have to
follow them both, I guess.

Hey!

Maybe they both live together.

That'll make it much easier.

-Yeah!

Maybe they do.

-Get ready now.

Go on, crows.

Fly slow now, but go home.

Home!

[cawing]

-Now, don't worry, Mr. Wilson.

I'll be back in ample
time for the meeting.

-Good, eh, uh, we
have an hour yet.

-I do hope we can keep them
from cutting down that tree.

Oh we must, Mrs. Wilson.

We simply must.

-Oh, and we will.

That park commissioner of
ours thinks all he has to say

is cut down this tree,
cut down that tree,

never mind the public.

He's going to find
out this afternoon

that the taxpayer is
still the man in charge.

-Well spoken, Mr. Wilson.

-Yes, sir.

I think we'll have a little
surprise for Mr. Commissioner.

-Yes, sir.

We'll have a little surprise for
Mr. Wilson and his crowd today.

-Well, the the power saw's
down in the truck, I'm ready.

-Those trouble-making
protest meetings.

I've been through that
stuff too many times, Joe.

-I know what you mean.

We're going to stop this one
before it ever gets started.

By the time Wilson's crowd
gets to the park at o'clock,

that tree will already be down.

-They can't very well expect
you to put it back up again,

can they?

[laughter]

-Right, let's go.

-And I say to you
that it shall not

be felled by the woodman's a*.

I'll get some applause here.

-Mr. Wilson!

Mr. Wilson!

We found it, we found it!

-Oh, Dennis, for
heaven's sakes, how

do you expect me to
concen-- you what?

-We found it!

-The crow's nest.

It's in the tree in the park.

-In the old tree in the park.

-And your $ bill is in it.

You can see it plain as day
with these field glasses.

-You, you it is?

Uh, are you sure?

-Sure, we're sure!

It's sticking right out
the side of the nest.

C'mon!

-Oh, yes.

[music playing]

-Can you see the money
from there, Mr. Wilson?

-Yeah, I see it, all right.

I'll get it.

-He sure is high, isn't he?

Hope he doesn't fall.

-Mr. Wilson?

Heck no!

He's a real good climber.

-Help!

Ooh, eek.

-Hang on, Mr. Wilson.

There's something
right by your foot.

Higher up.

That's it.

-We better stand over this way.

I sure don't want him
to fall on me, boy.

-He's not gonna-- hey, I
wonder who that is coming?

-I don't know.

-Just put it down there, Joe.

Oh, hello boys.
What are you doing here?

Playing?

-No, sir.

We're waiting for our
friend, Mr. Wilson.

-Oh, you're the kid that lives
next door to him, aren't you?

Well, Mr. Wilson won't
be until o'clock, boys.

So run along out of the way.

There you go, Joe.

[chainsaw]

-Hey!

-Wilson, you come
down out of that tree!

-I will not!

And you get away from this tree!

And get that saw away
from there too, Thornton.

-What do you think
you're doing up there?

-I'm getting my $ bill
that's what I'm doing.

It's in that crow's nest.

-What are you talking about
$ bill in a crow's nest?

-That's what he said.

-Oh, sure, sure.

And where did the crow get it?
Win it in a poker game?

-Our crow didn't win the money,
he stole it from Mr. Wilson.

-I know what you're
trying to pull, Wilson.

And you're not going
to get away with it.

You're not going to
save the tree pulling

a dumb trick like this.

You come down from there!

-Don't you holler
at me, Thornton.

I'll come down when I'm ready.

-Now, you boys had
better run along home.

We're going to saw
this tree down.

And it looks like Mr.
Wilson is determined

to stay up there
until the tree falls.

-You better hurry up and
come down, Mr. Wilson.

-They're gonna saw it down.

C'mon!

-Uhh, they wouldn't dare.

-Oh no?

Kick it off, Joe.

[chainsaw]

-You're gonna bounce
all over the park

when this tree hits back.

I'll give you one
more chance, Wilson.

When I count three,
down it comes.

One, two--

-C'mon, Tommy, we
better get my dad quick.

-For the last time, are
you coming down from there?

[crowd chattering]

-What do you think
you're doing anyhow?

Can't you see there's
a man up in that tree?

-Don't you dare cut that
tree down with him in it!

George, are you all right, dear?

-There's there's been just
a little mistake folks.

We didn't realize how much
the tree meant to you.

You park commissioner
has only one desire

and that's to please you.

Now I can assure you, this
tree will stand here--

-Are you all right, Mr. Wilson?

-Are you all right,
you're not hurt, are you?

-Oh, I'm fine, fine.

He didn't bluff me for a minute.

-They were going to
cut the tree down, Dad.

They had the saw
going and everything.

But good, old Mr. Wilson
wouldn't let them.

-My, what an heroic thing to do.

Single-handed, George
Wilson has saved this tree.

-Well, it was nothing.

Uh, the boys showed me that
crow's nest and when I--

-So it was not only to
save the tree that you

put your very life in
danger, it was also

to save our wee nesting friends.

-Huh?

Oh, well, I--

-When Tommy and me found
the nest and told Mr.

Wilson that bill was in it--

-Uh, Dennis, Mr.
Femmerling's talking, son.

-Dear friends, we
have today witnessed

a most truly unselfish deed.

And I shall personally
order a small plaque cast

in bronze in commemoration.

-A plaque?

Oh, oh, my word.

-To George Wilson,
friend of nature.

This tree is
gratefully dedicated.

[applause]

We shall place it here.

-Boy!

Now that you've got your
very own tree, Mr. Wilson,

I'll come over and
climb it with you.

Everyday.

[theme music]